Women have been launching lifeboats for over one hundred years and have qualified as Lifeboat Crew for fifty years. The RNLI recognises the contribution of women to saving lives at sea following the inspirational footsteps of women like Grace Darling and Mary Stout Hectorson Moar.

The RNLI is now has more than 500 female crew members.

Great Yarmouth and Gorleston is fortunate enough to have two women on the crew.

For almost 5 years Kim Platford has volunteered for the RNLI as Inshore Lifeboat Crew and All-Weather Lifeboat crew.

Kim has worked her way through her competency-based crew plan and is now currently a Trainee Navigator on the Lifeboat and is the Volunteer Press Officer for the station. Kim works as her full-time job as an Environment Manager for British Sugar.

She is joined by Lisa Amer who joined the crew almost 2 years ago and is currently working through her competency-based crew plan on the Inshore Lifeboat and All-Weather lifeboat, working her full-time job as a Complex Care Coordinator, where she arranges care for end of life patients. She is also Mum of 2 girls, Eden and Pearl.

Coxswain/Mechanic Paddy Lee said: ‘We are honoured to have Kim and Lisa on the crew, we encourage inclusion and diversity among our lifeboat crews and it’s good to see the number of women joining the RNLI as crew is on the rise all over the coast, on behalf of Great Yarmouth and Gorleston RNLI, we would like to wish all the women in the RNLI well and thank them for what they do. Our thanks extend to the shop volunteers, fundraisers, shore crew, lifeguards, staff and supporters who equally give up their time to help support this charity.'

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.